Touched by an Angel (1994–2003): Season 3, Episode 18 - Angel of Death - full transcript

This is your first
time in human form,

so I want you to listen to
me and listen to me good.

Stay away from
a thing called junk food,

and stay away from coffee.

I've got enough trouble
with another angel already.

She's on vacation
picking coffee beans.

Miss Wings cannot get enough
of that double mocha latte.

Mocha latte.

Oh, looky, looky. Hello, darling.
Say hello to Miss Celeste.

She's a brand new angel. Let's
show her how smart you are.

Can you sit?



Sit, baby. I said, sit!

Oh, Tess, I wish I had a tail.

Something to wag
when I'm happy, like now.

I'm so happy
I've got legs to dance.

(EXCLAIMS)

(DOG BARKING)

Oh, blessed Lord, give me patience
and give this child some rhythm.

Tess, look at this.
I got 10 fingers

and 10 little fingernails.

Is it true if one breaks off,

another one'll just
grow right back?

The fingernails, yes.
The fingers, no.

You've got to calm down,
Cherub Child.

There's nothing worse than an
angel that goes off half-cocked,



especially around people.

People?

Oh, no.

No, I don't think that I'm
quite ready for people yet.

I think maybe I'm gonna
go back to heaven.

Uh-uh.

You can run, but you can't hide.

That's the problem
with our new assignment.

He spent his whole life
trying to escape.

MALE ANNOUNCER ON PA:
Ladies and gentlemen,

Eric, the Angel of Death!

(CLAPPING AND CHEERING)

(TECHNO MUSIC PLAYING)

Did I disappoint you?
Did you come to see me die?

Don't forget what the
great Houdini once said.

"Not even death can hold me."

(AUDIENCE APPLAUDING)

Why do people care about magic,
when God creates miracles?

Eric loves illusions.

Keeps him from
having to face the truth.

That's why he needs an angel.

Mmm-hmm.

ERIC: Ladies and gentlemen.

You don't mean me, do you?

I need a volunteer
from the audience.

I'm looking for one
very brave soul.

Over here. Right over here.
Please, no.

Go on, go. Right here, yes.

(CLAPPING)

(CHEERING)

What's your name?

Celeste.

Celeste.

Well, Celeste, do you mind if we
decompose your subatomic particles

and re-arrange them in the
time and space continuum?

You mean make me disappear?

I think I might like that.

Stay, stay. Stay!

(DOG BARKING)

Two for the price of one.

(ELECTRICITY SURGING)

I lost my first angel,
and she took my dog.

♫ When you walk down the road

♫ Heavy burden, heavy load

♫ I will rise
and I will walk with you

♫ I'll walk with you
till the sun don't even shine

♫ Walk with you, every time

♫ I'll tell you
I'll walk with you

♫ Walk with you

♫ Believe me
I'll walk with you ♫

network executives out there.

My big chance
for a television special.

Carla, what happened to the
girl from the audience?

I don't know.

Well, you got her down the trap.
Why didn't she come back up?

She just wasn't there.

Trap is working just fine.

She was a plant.

The girl, the little dog,
and you.

Who are you working for, Carla?

Copperfield, huh? Lance Burton?
How much did they pay you?

I don't know
what you're talking about.

Yeah, well, after tonight's
show, you are outta here!

Oh, no. I quit now!

Your act is too dangerous, and, you
know, I think you really wanna die.

You are crazy. I am not!

I am the best! No one can beat me!
Not even Houdini!

Oh, you are nuts.

You. You lost my friend
and my dog.

Yeah, well, your little friend messed
up my illusion, lady. Where is she?

That's what I'm asking you. Celeste?
Celeste? Come here, dog.

Where's my agent?
Where is my agent?

Would somebody please
find my agent? Andy!

Eric, Eric, I'm here, I'm here.
Calm down, calm down.

Listen, the network loved
the disappearing girl.

They thought it was
a great comic touch.

They did?

Yes, yes, they did. So
take it easy, all right?

They said they can't wait to
see the rest of the show.

Everything's cool.

No, no, everything is not cool.
I just fired my assistant,

and unless you find me a new one
before that curtain goes up,

you, my friend, are next.

An agent, huh?

Yeah, yeah, that's me. I'm Andy.

Andy, the Agent of Death.

Listen, one week with that
guy, I wish he'd fire me.

And now I've got five
minutes to find someone...

To find someone
who looks good in tights.

Well, don't look at me, but
I think I know somebody.

(LAUGHING)

I created this next escape
in the honor of Houdini,

a man whose name
is synonymous with magic.

He spent his entire life
laughing in the face of death.

And tonight, it's my turn,

as I present
the Spikes of Mortality.

(CLAPPING)

(CHEERING)

My assistant will now
bind my wrists.

Hello.

My name is Monica,

and lucky for you,

I've had lots of experience
in search and rescue.

(SHUSHING)

I will now be tied in this sack,

and hoisted by a burning
rope over the bed of spikes.

(AUDIENCE GASPING)

(AUDIENCE APPLAUDING)

Monica, why don't you
show them what's in the sack?

Potatoes.

Let me show you something
really magical.

(CHEERING AND CLAPPING)

I hate to interrupt your
vacation, baby, but I need you.

Oh, it's okay, Tess.
I really missed you.

Anyway, I have
a wee souvenir for you.

Coffee beans?

Jamaica Blue Mountain.

I picked them myself, and...

A dog leash? Uh-huh,

completely hand-made
by local tribesmen.

Hundred percent
natural jungle fiber.

What's the matter, Tess?

I lost my dog.

Oh, shh, you know
nothing's ever really lost.

God knows where he is,
but he isn't telling me.

I didn't even think
you liked that wee mutt.

He's not a mutt!

He's a special blend, like
this coffee you drink.

He's the cutest dog
God ever made.

My dog and a sweet
little angel named Celeste,

they just vanished in the middle
of Eric's act, both of them.

Hey, you. Never change the
act without my permission.

You got it?

Is Eric my assignment?

Calls himself
the Angel of Death,

but he's really a man
with a death wish.

Doesn't care too much
about dying,

'cause he doesn't care
too much about living.

Here you go.

Hey, what's your name?

Brian.

Well, Brian, do you like magic?

Mmm-hmm.

Hey, you see this pencil?

I'm gonna put it
in my right hand,

then with my left hand I'm gonna
squeeze my wrist real tight

and see if we can
make that pencil float.

Cool. How do you do it?

Can I try?

Grab the wrist.

Thank you.

Thank you so much. He hasn't
smiled like that since...

We lost his little brother in
a car accident last spring.

I'm sorry.

It's very hard to lose someone.

Especially someone so young.

(SOBBING)

Oh.

Now, if you'll excuse me.

BOY: One Mississippi,
two Mississippi,

three Mississippi,
four Mississippi.

Eric, you all right?

ANDREW: Eric, good news.

The network just said yes.

You have your own
television special.

Yes. Yes. Oh, yes.

Congratulations. Now
there's only one thing.

They wanna shoot the whole
show in Houdini's hometown.

It's somewhere in Wisconsin.

Appleton. Yeah.

Appleton, Wisconsin.
No, I can't.

Eric, I...

(LAUGHS)

I thought you'd be
happy about this.

Now, look, this is
supposed to be

this great little
all-American town,

and the obvious comparison between
you and Houdini, I mean...

Andy, I don't pay you
for your opinions.

I pay you to do
what I'm telling you to do,

and I'm telling you, I'm not
doing this in Appleton.

If you don't want to go to
Wisconsin, that's fine.

I'll call them up, I'll
tell them that you're out,

but they're very married to
this Houdini-Appleton hook,

and if you say no, they're just
gonna hire another escape artist.

There are no other
escape artists, Andy!

You're right, Eric.
No, there are not.

Fine.

Make the deal.

TESS: Houdini was quite a man.

A man of faith.

Not at all like Eric Weiss.

At least that's what
he calls himself.

That was actually
Houdini's real name.

He calls himself
the Angel of Death.

I didn't think
he was afraid of anything.

Except going home.

As a leader of this community,

it is my honor to present
our distinguished visitor

with the key to the city.

Had it a moment ago.

Solid brass, about this long. Had
it made up special in my own shop.

Hinkley's Hardware Emporium.

That's all right.
I don't need any key.

No chain, no lock,

can hold the Angel of Death.

Eric, your press kit doesn't say a
darn thing about where you were born,

your family background.

Madame, never attempt to strip
a magician of his mystery.

I will give you a hint.

My family tree goes all
the way back to Merlin.

(SCOFFING)
You expect us to swallow that?

Magicians aren't the only
people who hide things.

I suggest you look in the left
hand pocket of your jacket.

What? There's nothing in here
but my ballpoint pen,

and a key to the city.

Ladies and gentlemen,
I look forward to visiting

your new Houdini Museum
this afternoon.

And tonight, I will perform

the first segment of my upcoming
television special for you.

But first,

a toast to your health.

The Hydrochloric Cocktail.

First, I fill these five glasses

with this very deadly liquid.

The sixth glass

filled with ordinary
drinking water.

Councilman, would you
please come forward?

Would you mix up the six glasses

and then put them back
in a straight line?

Meanwhile, I'm gonna
speak with my agent.

There we go. Thank you.

Now,

to life.

Or death.

(AUDIENCE GASPING)

(DOG WHINING)

Hello. So you must be
the missing angel.

You know, Tess misses
that wee scamp.

Well, I didn't mean
to take her, honest.

I just got scared.

Scared of what?

People.

Monica, how long does it
take to understand them?

Maybe an eternity,
so you have plenty of time.

Yeah, well, I've been
watching you and Eric,

and being a caseworker is even
harder than I thought it would be.

Oh, Monica,
I just wanna go home.

You know, heaven can be
very heavenly,

but helping people can be just as
wonderful, in a different way.

Really?

You know, I always wanted to be a
wonderful caseworker, you know, like you.

Maybe you could give me
a few pointers, you know?

Some do's and don'ts.

Okay, well, for starters,

do listen to Tess and
don't get on her bad side.

Oh, please don't tell her
where I am,

until I'm ready.

Sometimes Tess scares me even
more than the people do.

The thing about Tess is,
once you get to know her,

you'll see that she's
really very gentle and kind

and tender and loving.

TESS: What's going on here,
Miss Wings?

You've been acting funny
ever since we left Vegas.

Funny?

You heard me.

You've seen her, haven't you?

Has she got my dog?

Are you going to tell me
where she is?

Oh, it's a secret, huh?

Looks like you and Eric
both have a secret.

Well, I've got a secret, too.

It's what I'm going to do to the
two of them when I find them.

WOMAN: Get... Danny, get me out.

(CRYING) Please, Danny.
Out. Out.

Danny!

TAXI DRIVER: Buddy,
that'll be four bucks.

Now, close the screen door.
You'll let the flies in.

(DOOR LOCKING)

You just can't keep them
out of the kitchen.

Ma,

don't you recognize me?
It's me. It's Danny.

Danny?

Have you seen your father?

No, Ma, he's gone. He's been
gone a long, long time.

I guess I have, too, huh?

(ERIC SIGHS)

The doctors, they said that
you're doing real good.

I don't want you to worry now, 'cause I'm
gonna keep sending that check every month,

just like always and...

You'd better wash your hands
before supper.

I got a pie cooling
over there on the stove.

Yeah, look, I gotta go. I gotta go.
I'm gonna be back.

Make sure you and your brother
get home in time for supper.

(SIGHS) Yeah.

And don't go playing
in that junkyard!

BOY: Danny?

Ready or not, here I come...

Come on, Petey. Gotta go.

Olly, olly, oxen free,
free, free.

Petey, come on.
We're gonna get in trouble.

Ladies and gentlemen,

how long can you
hold your breath?

Five seconds? Ten?
Give it a try.

Twenty seconds? Perhaps thirty?

That is the question I will
now attempt to answer.

I call this
The Suffocating Safe.

I would like to introduce
our very brave volunteer,

your very own
Councilman Hinkley.

(AUDIENCE APPLAUDING)

Councilman Hinkley,
any final words?

I would like to say goodbye
to my lovely wife, Adele.

So long, Adele.

Now, please, if you'd turn your
attention to my assistant, Monica.

The safe she is standing
next to is airtight.

It contains enough air

to provide two minutes of life
to the person trapped inside.

That's you, Councilman.

He knows what he's doing, right?

I certainly hope so.

Councilman, would you please
step into the safe? Say goodbye.

Monica, please close the door.

Turn the handle,
spin the combination,

and if you would, count
down at 30-second intervals

two minutes, counting now.

Two minutes and counting.

One minute, 30 seconds.

ERIC: (CRYING) Petey?

One minute.

(AUDIENCE MURMURING)

Thirty seconds.

I don't understand.
Why can't I open this?

Fifteen seconds.

Eric! Ten,

eight...

Somebody do something!
Seven, six, five...

ALL COUNTING:
Four, three, two, one.

I must've passed out.

Lucky for me,
I was on the swim team.

You panicked.

Did you see him?
He was standing right there.

Who was there?

My brother. My brother.

I didn't know you had a brother.

He's dead. It was my fault.

I never believed
in ghosts. I do now.

He was there.

My own angel of death.

ANDREW: Okay, a little more.

Keep going, keep going.
Keep going.

Okay, whoa, hold it, hold it.
That's it, that's it.

Right over the deep end.

Andrew, how can they film that
TV special after what happened?

Eric's announced he's gonna do the
most dangerous escape of his career.

The one that Houdini
was afraid to perform?

And he's gonna do it underwater.

What if something goes wrong?

Well, that's what I asked the
producers, and they seem to think

that no matter what happens,
it's gonna be good for ratings.

Eric is not fit
to perform tonight.

The poor man thinks
he's seen a ghost.

That's what happens
when people have secrets.

They end up being haunted
by the truth,

and it won't go away
until they face it.

It's like the tail wagging the
dog, if you get my drift.

Tess.. Don't mind me.

I'm just
a straight-talking angel

doing an honest day's work here.

Here, dog. Dog?

What's with her?

Sometimes I think the worst thing
in the world is to keep a secret.

What kind of secret?

I know where Tess' wee dog is.

(DOG WHINING) Get out.

That doesn't sound
like camera equipment.

Celeste, I'd like you to meet
the real Angel of Death.

Wow.

I've heard so much
about you, Andy.

Uh, it's Andrew.

Oh!

Oh, you're Celeste?

You're Tess' Celeste,
the dog-napper?

(LAUGHING HUMORLESSLY)

Uh-uh, no.

Do not get me
involved in this at all.

No, I don't know you, I never
met you, I never even saw you.

You're scared of Tess, too,
aren't you?

Okay, then. No problem.

Celeste, no, wait.

You and Eric, man, you both
like to live dangerously.

Close the door. Screen door.

Yeah, I know, Ma.
The flies, huh?

Oh, they just keep buzzing
and buzzing and buzzing.

I'm sorry, Ma.

You deserved a better life.

Do you want to know
the real truth?

Yeah.

What's the truth?

I don't really mind them.

What, the flies?

Mmm-hmm.

It keeps me busy, occupied.

I got it. I got it.
Careful. Careful.

I got it!

You need a new paper.
This is all...

Petey?

(CRYING) Poor Petey.

Where did he go, Danny?

Wherever did he go?

ERIC: Did you come
to see me die?

(AUDIENCE CHEERING)

Tonight,
for the first and last time,

I will defy death, logic,
and the laws of nature.

Underwater.

Ladies and gentlemen,
the Drowning Pool.

(CHEERING AND CLAPPING)

I have challenged the good citizens
of Appleton to shackle me in cuffs

that I have never
examined before.

I have also challenged these good
people to seal me in a container

that I have never seen before.

Even now,

I have no idea what it is that
I will try to escape from.

(AUDIENCE MURMURING)

Councilman Hinkley?

(AUDIENCE APPLAUDING)

I just wanna say that.

Mrs. Hinkley and I
are proud to take part,

but happy to stay
on the sidelines this time.

Councilman, are you ready
to unveil the object?

Yes, sir.

The missus and I
would like to donate this

on behalf of
Hinkley's Hardware Emporium.

As you know, we offer a complete
line of kitchen supplies,

including blenders, microwaves,
stoves, and of course..

(AUDIENCE GASPING)

Monica, he's here.

Where?

Even if you can't see him,
he's still here.

Don't go through with this, Eric.
It's too dangerous.

I've been waiting my whole
life for this moment,

or maybe this moment's
been waiting for me.

The moment of truth.

Truth or illusion, Eric?

Do you know the difference?

(AUDIENCE CHEERING
AND APPLAUDING)

SPECTATOR: (SHOUTING) Way to go!

MAN: Forward!

I wanna help Eric.

What should I do?

Pray.

(THUDDING)

MONICA: Andrew,
what's happening?

It's been almost two minutes.

He's running out of oxygen.

Is he going to...

I don't know yet.

Why can't we do something?

Eric doesn't need our help.

God wants Eric to choose life,

and no one else can do that for
him, not even God himself.

You two boys weren't playing
in that junkyard, were you?

That place is dangerous.

No. No, Ma.

YOUNG DANNY:
Olly, olly, oxen free.

Petey, come on.

Petey, where are you?

Petey, come out.
Mom is looking for us.

Petey, come on.

Petey!

ESTELLA: Danny? Peter?

(SOBBING) Oh, please, God,

I don't wanna die like this.

I wanna be with Petey again.

Please, God, please.

It's been almost three minutes.

He can't last much longer.

Any word?

Look, it's Eric!

No, no, no, no,
wait, wait, wait.

No, wait. I'm not Eric.
I'm not Eric. Wait, wait.

He's still down there.

Would somebody please
help my brother?

He's not supposed to die yet.

His twin brother?

Get him up, now.

(BOOING)

Open it.

Danny, is that you?

No, no. Leave me alone.
Leave me alone!

He's a fake. He's got a twin.

(GRUNTING)

(DOG BARKING)

(POLICE SIRENS APPROACHING)

(CRYING)

(ERIC EXCLAIMING)

Oh, God.

No, wait!

Come on, give me a break.
It's my first time.

What?

Who are you?

I'm an angel.

You're that girl who
messed up my act in Vegas.

Forget about your act.
I'm here about your life.

Something you messed up
all by yourself.

I've learned a lot in the last couple
of days about you and me both.

About secrets and hiding and...

Well, I can tell you, from
my own personal experience,

that it doesn't do you any
good to keep running,

because you can't run from God.

(LAUGHING) Hey,
would you look at that?

I must've said something good.

MONICA: Not only good,
but truthful.

Oh, Monica,
I'm so glad you're here.

You're an angel, too, huh?

You spent your life
playing hide and seek, Eric.

You cover your eyes and you
think that no one will see you,

no one will find you,

but God has never lost you.

So he... He knows what happened.

Of course he does.

By the time I realized my brother
was in the refrigerator,

it was too late.

When I went back,

the refrigerator was gone,
with Petey inside.

He died.

It was my fault.
I should've found him.

I should've looked harder.

And I never told anyone.

You were afraid.

Afraid to tell my Ma 'cause I
thought it would kill her,

so I didn't tell her.

But not knowing
drove her crazy, so...

Oh! Oh, God, what have I done?

Eric, listen to me.

You did everything that you
could for your mother,

and you were not responsible for what
happened to her or to your brother,

but you don't believe that.
You see, that's the thing

with secrets and lies.

They're illusions that grow
bigger and bigger

until you can't see
the truth anymore,

and the truth is that your brother
didn't die in that refrigerator.

What happened to him?

That day that you were playing hide
and seek in this junkyard with Petey,

there was someone
watching and waiting.

An unhappy man, whose only goal was
to cause your family a lot of pain.

And he took your brother.

Petey didn't die here?

He was kidnapped that day
by your father.

Oh, God. What?

Your father is dead now, but the
damage has been done to your mother,

to Petey, and to you.

No, no. No, not me.

They're the ones. I'm...

I'm fine.

Eric, your soul has been
locked in that refrigerator

ever since the day that
your brother disappeared.

You are not fine.

You're in an awful lot
of pain, aren't you?

You know, you grew up believing

that your brother
had died trapped

and unable to get away
from something terrible,

and you've spent your whole
life trying to escape

from terrible things for him.

Is he still alive?

Yes. You've seen him.

I thought that was...

A ghost?

You have spent your life
trying to cheat death,

and instead
you have cheated life,

because you were never able
to really live it.

But God has a plan
for you, Danny.

It's not too late?

You started hiding
a long time ago.

Isn't it time now
you started to seek?

Amen.

Petey.

Danny, I saw the posters,

your face. I was afraid to hope.

I had to see for myself.

Dad told me you were dead.

For a long time, I was.

I missed you.

Okay, Cherub Child,

you and I are gonna have us a nice
little talk and go over the rules.

Right now, I wanna ask you
one teeny-weeny question.

Where is my dog?